The cutter head of this invention is an improvement of the cutter head shown and described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,066, issued Apr. 30, 1974. The improved cutter head utilizes many of the principles and features of the cutter head of my patent. For example, it can be constructed of simplified wearing parts and strength members which may be easily assembled and replaced. Also, practically all of the parts of my improved cutter head can be formed of straight pieces of material of conventional cross-sections such as rectangular or square, which have been cut to fit. In contrast, most of the commercially available cutter heads utilize complex, machined, cast or forged parts which are expensive to manufacture and to repair.
The cutter head of this invention is intended for use on suction dredges used in hydraulic dredging. Hydraulic dredging is a highly competitive business in which extremely large amounts of material must be moved rapidly and at minimum cost in order for a contractor to be successful. For this reason, it is imperative that the cutter head be as efficient as possible in removing material.